alicia bock : artists who blog

Alicia's website: www.aliciabock.com
Alicia's blog: www.bloom-grow-love.blogspot.com
Alicia's shop: www.aliciabock.etsy.com

Why did you decide to start a blog?

I've always kept a journal since I was very young. But, after I had kids and started my business I found it was hard for me to keep up with writing. Three years ago, I had just started reading a few blogs and thought it would be a good way for me record the daily events of balancing my family and business. I have a pretty awful memory. Blogging (even if it is just posting a few pictures), helps keep the good things fresh in my mind.



How did you come up with the name of your blog?

Years ago I took three photographs that I titled, "Bloom", "Grow", and "Love". I always liked those photos, (they were my first Magnolias) and the words themselves. It just seemed like a good fit.



How has blogging affected your work as an artist/designer?

I think it has definintely made me feel part of a larger community. Working alone, and having an online business can leave you feeling isolated. But, connecting with my readers, and visiting the blogs of my favorite artists makes me realize how common our experiences are, even if we work in different mediums.



What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?

bliss- Mrs. French and I have a very similar taste in clothes and home decor. Her posts are like a giant daydream for me. I don't know how she does it, but she always finds the most beautiful things that I have never seen before.

sfgirlbybay- Victoria is wonderful at telling stories through her photographs. I am in love with her "Sunday in the City" series, and amazed by the color of her wonderful city.

Orangette- I want to live Molly's world just for a day. Her polaroids are so perfectly lit. And, her recipes are delicious.



Do you have any advice for artists/designers who are starting a blog?

Write about your passion... include lots of great photographs. I am of course a bit biased, but I think the photos are what make a good blog.



What has been the most positive and inspirational aspect of having a blog for you?

I can't say enough good things about my readers, especially those who leave comments. It really means the world to me. I get great advice about music, food, traveling, and photography. Whenever I ask a question someone always comes through for me.



What do you find the most difficult/most rewarding part of having a creative profession?

Most rewarding: That I get to do what I love everyday.
Most difficult: Running all of it alone. I would love to someday have an assistant to help with shipping and paperwork, so I can spend more time taking photographs.



Other than your blog, what has been the most effective way for you to promote your art/design?

I think selling in multiple venues is one of the best ways to get exposure. I see a lot of people just focusing their Etsy shops, but there are so many different options that can be explored.



How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

I am not very good at this. My mind is always working, composing photographs everywhere I go. I really could work 24 hours a day and still love what I do. The good thing is that I can do a lot of it with my family around me. I used to work very late into the night. But, have been turning the computer off more often when my kids go to bed, and working a little less on the weekends. I will probably always struggle with this.



What are your main goals for 2009?

1.More traveling... even if it is just within my own state.
2.Organizing my office.
3.Keeping up with scanning my polaroids.

Thanks Alicia!

Show me your shoes

Made by Anne, 10 years old

You need:

1. white drawingpaper
2. coloured pencils
3. scissors
4. glue
5. coloured paper for background

Ask children to take their most beautiful, most colourful or most favourite shoes. Put one of your shoes in front of you on your table. Look carefully and draw your shoe on a white sheet. Colour it firmly and cut it out. Glue the shoe on a coloured sheet that matches to the colours of the shoe.

By Jetse, 12 years old

Guardian angels of the woods

You need:

1. white drawing paper
2. colour pencils

After telling a story about the protector of the woods, who hide themselves between the trees and bushes, children draw their own wood guardian angels. Those can be anything they think of: an angel, a ghost, a fairy or maybe even an animal. The colours should of course be natural colours: green, yellow, red, brown and mixtures of them. Hide your guardian angel between the trees, drawing a lot of leaves around it.

Mousepad for father's day

You need:

1. white drawing paper
2. coloured pencils or felt pens
3. photographs of the students
4. laminate sheets
5. glue

Students glue their photograph on a white sheet. The sheet has to be decorated especially for their dad: chose the colours he loves, draw the things he likes! Laminate the drawing and daddy's mousepad is ready!

apol lejano-massebieau : artists who blog

Apol's blog: www.lapommeblogs.blogspot.com
Apol's shops: www.lapomme.etsy.com, www.lapommestories.etsy.com

Why did you decide to start a blog?

I already had a blog before La Pomme, called Provenciana, that was devoted to my observations of life in the south of France, where I had just moved. I kept that one for about two years and it really helped me process the adjustment difficulties I went through; at the same time it was also a wonderfully creative experience, as the blog was written in a sort of humorous, literary way, and has now been published into a book. (A reception/reading is going to be held in Paris in June!) So I already felt positively about blogs. When I began selling my creations online, it sort of came naturally for me to start another blog, as this was another personal adventure I wanted to document.



How did you come up with the name of your blog?

The blog is named after my online shops, La Pomme and La Pomme Stories, both of which in turn are named after me. People who’ve read about me in the past might be bored by this story already, as I’m always telling it, sorry! Anyway, my name is Apol Lejano-Massebieau, and Apol was originally spelled Apple, like the fruit, except I changed it when I was a teenager in a feeble attempt to sound more original. So anyway, "la pomme" is French for "the apple." I’m egocentric that way. ☺



How has blogging affected your work as an artist/designer?

I think that because I am striving to make the blog a virtual notebook of the things that inspire me, the biggest thing is that it has made me more conscious of what exactly these sources of inspiration are. When I am engaged in an activity or even just looking at an object that moves or excites me in a creative way, I now tend to whip out my camera and take a picture, because I know I want to blog about it. Before blogging, these experiences would just stay in my brain and come out as an objects already made, a soft sculpture, for example. The process of writing about it in my blog gives me a halfway point, where I actually have to think about and verbalize, and therefore become conscious of, where my ideas are coming from. I think this is great because being self-taught, I have not had any formal art training and this allows me to strengthen my visual vocabulary.



What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?

I love love love looking at the blogs of soft sculpture artists whose works I admire, especially if their blogs contain lots of photos! Looking at their works give me joy. Some of these artists’ blogs are the following:
annwood
whileshenaps
stephaniecongdonbarnes

Do you have any advice for artists/designers who are starting a blog?

This is something I just learned myself: Don’t be afraid to open up and share more of yourself and your process in your blog. Of course, it’s up to each individual to set limits as to what personal things he is willing to talk about, but I think it’s rewarding both ways to let your readers into your head more.



What has been the most positive and inspirational aspect of having a blog for you?

My readers’ comments leave me pleasantly surprised at how complete strangers from all different countries are responding to my works. I spend a lot of my time alone in my workshop, and it’s a way of working that pleases me enormously, however having some sort of feedback is also very nice.



What do you find the most difficult/most rewarding part of having a creative profession?

The most difficult part is learning how to market my own creations. I’m still an amateur in that area, but I’m picking things up as I go along. At the same time, I’m also finding this process a rewarding experience – not the no. 1 most rewarding, but admittedly very satisfying – as it is allowing me to learn skills I did not have before. I’m a very energetic creature, and I always – always – need to be doing something new to keep myself happy.




Other than your blog, what has been the most effective way for you to promote your art/design?

Aside from my blog, my flickr account, and also occasionally touching base with design and crafts sites to tell them if I have something new cooking up. In a few weeks, I plan to start sending off a monthly or a bimonthly newsletter to people on my mailing list. As I already said, this marketing part is difficult, and sometimes when something is difficult we tend to not do it, right? So I’m in the baby stages of creating a partnership with another textile artist whose works I admire, Dana Komjaty of Leililaloo, and we’ll be helping each other out in this area.



How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

I don’t. Heehee. Seriously, at the moment, it’s just my husband and I, so even if both of us sometimes spend 12 to 14 hours working, it’s not a problem. We do, however, always make it a point to have dinner together every night – even if the dinner happens at 10 or 11 p.m. – and also to do something on Sundays –a motorcycle ride through the country, a picnic, a bit of rock-climbing, a movie, or even just going to the market together in the morning and cooking something special after. We’re expecting our first child soon, though, so I’m quite certain that things will be a little less relaxed then!



What are your main goals for 2009?

I’d like to be able to establish La Pomme more as a brand. A short, simple sentence that calls for a lot of work! Also, I write very short, modern fairytales, some of which you can see in my shop La Pomme Stories, and I’d be ecstatic to be able to have these published as a collection, in book form.




Thanks Apol!

Comic strip language

You need:

1. white drawing paper from 10 by 10 centimetres
2. white drawing paper from 30 by 30 centimetres
3. tempera paint
4. felt pens
5. black markers
6. brushes

Comic strip drawers use a special way to reproduce sounds. They realise a special effect with letters or words. We call this an onomatopeia or sound-imitation.

There is always a black frame around the comic strip pictures. Sometimes you'll see the a part of the drawing outside of the frame.
Ask sour students to take their favourite comic strips. Look for examples of sound-imitations and talk about them: SPLASH (falling water), TOINK (someone who bumps his head).
Those sound-imitations are often combined with a movement or direction. You can notice this if you look at the shape or direction of the letters, or even at the letters themselves. Often you'll see matching symbols around a word, like litte stars for someone who bumped his head or drops of water around the word SPLASH.

Students design a comic strip picture with a sound. They have to draw a concept first on the little sheet. When finished and satisfied with the concept, students take a bigger sheet from 30 with 30 centimentres. On this sheet they have to draw a frame (use a ruler!) about 1 centimetre from the sides. Outside this frame the drawing has to remain white, like in comic strips. After this children have to enlarge their concept. If it is to difficult, they can draw a grid on their sheet first (squares from 3 by 3 centimetres).
Drawing and words have to be coloured with feltpens. The background and other great parts can be painted with tempera. Tell children to choose bright colours, so don't mix to much. At last outline all lines with a black marker.

Beautiful butterflies

You need:

1. white drawing paper
2. tempera
3. brushes
4. glue and scissors
5. coloured paper for background

Paint with a small brush white tempera to create . Niet te kleine vakken maken, dat is lastig inkleuren later. Door het mengen van kleuren en wit worden de vakken gevuld. Vertel de kinderen dat ze de verf niet verdunnen, om felle kleuren te krijgen. Ook na het spoelen van de kwast moet deze goed worden drooggemaakt in een papieren doekje.
Vouw een tweede tekenvel dubbel en teken tegen de vouw aan een of meer halve vlinders. Knip deze uit. Verf ze in dezelfde kleuren als de achtergrond, maar blijf daarbij een halve centimeter van de rand af zodat je een wit randje overhoudt. Trek met witte verf dunne lijntjes rondom het lijf van de vlinder en de versieringen als de verf voldoende aangedroogd is.
Plak de gekleurde achtergrond op een groter vel wit papier. Plak dan de vlinders op, waarbij je ook over de witte rand kunt gaan. Doe alleen lijm achter het lijf, zodat de vlinders iets van het pier gaan afstaan voor een ruimtelijke effect.

whitney smith : artists who blog

Whitney's blog: www.whitneys-pottery.blogspot.com
Whitney's website: www.whitneysmithpottery.com
Whitney's shop: www.whitneysmith.etsy.com

Why did you decide to start a blog?

I have a lot to say, as the people in my life know all too well, and I’m always framing my daily life and thoughts into stories and essays. I wasn’t sure what the blog thing was really all about, but when my friend Diana Fayt started hers about 3 years ago I saw how you could really write about whatever you wanted. I realized I could get out of my head and share my experiences as an artist with other people, while also using my blog as a promotional tool.



How did you come up with the name of your blog?

I’m a huge fan of this American life, and I’m not ashamed to admit I totally ripped the idea of the name off from them. I hope they don’t sue me now.



How has blogging affected your work as an artist/designer?

It hadn’t affected my ceramic work per se. I do pay more attention to what is going through my mind or what is happening in the studio day to day so I can write about it later for my blog. I have been a writer all my life and I haven’t had much time for it since starting my ceramic business in 1998, so blogging has opened that part of my life up again.



What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?

outofcharacter because this woman is a great writer and hilarious, totally sick and twisted. I’ve been reading posy gets cozy forever and I have an extremely fond affection for Alicia and all she does, and she’s also a great and engaging writer. My ceramic artist friend Rae Dunn has a dog who writes a blog! I just think it’s so funny. I really appreciate blogs that have a strong voice of the person—or dog-- who writes it. I’m not so into looking at pictures or products, I’m interested in people’s lives.



Do you have any advice for artists/designers who are starting a blog?

Have a point of view, take the time to edit and write well. If you can’t do that, take lots of pretty pictures and keep it short. I probably won’t read it but lots of other people will!



What has been the most positive and inspirational aspect of having a blog for you?

Connecting with others who like me and/or my work has been wonderful and has opened up a new world of people for me—clients, clay pals, fans, stores. When people come up to me at a show and say, “I love your blog!” it gives me a major thrill, and also makes me feel kinda famous. I also like bringing up topics that are not often discussed, like copying on etsy, what it’s like to be tortured by demanding clients, or having a big order go totally of the rails.



What do you find the most difficult/most rewarding part of having a creative profession?

The most difficult part is dealing with my failures and having no one to blame. I have to take full responsibility for everything that happens in my business, even when it is one of my assistants who messes something up. The most rewarding part is being able to do what I love most, which is creating beautiful things with my hands, and being able to arrive at my studio every day when it is most convenient for me, not a boss.



Other than your blog, what has been the most effective way for you to promote your art/design?

Having a regularly updated website and steady press seems to really give me a promotional boost. And wholesaling to stores nationwide also seems to build my name.




How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

That question implies that I maintain a healthy work/life balance. I’ve found that balance is one of those passing things, like happiness or frustration. I strive for balance by keeping a regimen of scheduled exercise, healthy food, time for friends, no work on the weekends or late into the evening, and a strict daily intake of coffee. Of course, when I’m under pressure all of those rules go right out the window. Except for the coffee part. That’s the one steady thing in my day: there’s always coffee.



What are your main goals for 2009?

On the business side, keeping my sales at the same or better level as 2008 despite the weird economy, getting some major print press, and continuing to develop new lines of work. On the personal side, taking better care of myself, being sweet to my husband every day, and keeping a garden alive through the whole summer.

Thanks Whitney!

Black and white prints

You need:

1. two pieces of linoleum from 10 x 10 cm
2. lino knive
3. mat
4. block printing ink in black and white
5. flat piece of glass
6. linoleum roller
7. white paper A4 size
8. black papier A4 size
9. lino press

For this artwork you need two square pieces of linoleum. Draw simple patterns or simple figures. Cut from the first piece of lino the figures out and leave the background (negative). Cut from the second piece of lino just the background out while leaving the figures (positive). Press both works several times in black ink on white paper and white ink on black paper.
Choose the best out of those prints. Paste the white prints on black sheets and the black prints on white sheets. Paste the black print on white paper sheets on a larger black sheet. Paste the white print on black paper sheets on a larger white sheet. Finally glue the black and white sheets together.

Made by students from 10-11 years old

Athletes and their shadows

You need:

1. plywood plate on A4 size
2. jigsaw
3. sandpaper
4. carbon paper
5. pencil
6. strong glue
7. black construction paper for background
8. tempera and brushes

Search in a newspaper, magazine or on the Internet for a photo of an athlete in motion. Note that, if you would print the photo in black, you'll see well what the athlete does. Place carbon paper with the black side down on your board. Lay the picture above. Trace the athlete. Press firmly.
Saw the athlete neat and sand the edges smooth. Paint the two parts in the colours you like. Don't forget the edges! Glue your board on a piece of cardboard and paste the sawn-athletes with some space between.
You will see an athlete with his own shadow!

Waterlilies in the style of Monet

You need:

1. tissue paper in different colors
2. white drawing sheet (A4 size)
3. glue

Claude Monet was a French painter and founder of French impressionist painting. Impressionistic paintings are a kind of snapshots, giving a quick impression. Up close, it will only show spots and streaks, at a distance you see that these spots together represent an image.

After viewing a number of waterlily paintings by Monet, children will make their own waterlilies using tissue paper. To get the spotty Monet effect, the tissue paper should be torn into pieces. For the background, the water, children tear pieces of blue and or green tissuepaper and paste it on their sheet. The flowers are also made of torn pieces of tissue paper.
It is important to work from big to small: first the background, then the pieces of the large flowers, and over them the heart of the flower.
Assign the children that they use minimal of glue to avoid a messy painting.

Face in the mirror

You need:

1. coloured construction paper
2. scissors and glue
3. cutter and mat

During this lessons children will practice with positive and negative space.


Discuss about a face: form, place of ears and eyes (same height), distance between the eyes, hairline (not just on top of the head), the width of the mouth and nose.
Every child gets a construction paper and a half construction paper in two contrasting colours. Draw half of a face to the side of the small sheet.
This face must be cut and placed at the center line of the whole sheet. Cut parts out of the half face and place them on the other side. When all parts are cut, everything cn be pasted.

shelby healey : artists who blog

Shelby's blog: www.shelbyhealey.typepad.com
Shelby's website: www.shelbyhealey.com
Shelby's shop: www.shelbyhealey.etsy.com

Why did you decide to start a blog?

I started blogging about 18 months after opening my Etsy shop because I wanted to bring more traffic to my shop of course, but also because I was working on a few things and I wanted to catalogue my work as I produced it. In addition to this, I live on a small island which is beautiful and very inspirational but I do feel rather isolated at times. I saw starting a blog as a way to connect with like–minded people in the big wide world.



How has blogging affected your work as an artist/designer?

It definately encourages me to get in the studio. If I haven’t posted new work in a week or so I feel really lame. Whether it’s sewing, sketching or making patterned paper for my collages I try to experiment every day.

What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?

I have loads but here are just a few, Bliss for impeccable taste, dear ada for amazing art and wish jar for a stimulating read.



Do you have any advice for artists/designers who are starting a blog?

I’m not the best person to give advice by any means but being a blog reader myself I go back to blogs that are regularly updated and have lots of eye candy!



What has been the most positive and inspirational aspect of having a blog for you?

Having people get in touch and tell you how much they appreciate your work is hugely inspiring. Often when I contact artists whose work I admire and would like to use in my blog we get chatting about our work and life and this is very heartening to me too.



What do you find the most difficult/most rewarding part of having a creative profession?

Making art is not my full–time occupation at the moment but I dream about the days I don’t get woken up by an alarm clock and can spend hours on end in my studio with my paints and sticky bits of paper.



Other than your blog, what has been the most effective way for you to promote your art/design?

I have had a lot of private commissions and freelance work from people who found me through my (rather neglected) website and Etsy. Having your work in a front page treasury is always good for business as is being featured on great blogs.



How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

I try to keep my energy levels up in order to fit in all that I want to so I eat well and practise yoga. I generally spend a few mornings and most evenings in my studio and then enjoy what time I can with my family when we are all free. I love days out at the beach or walking in the hills. I spend as little time as possible at real ‛work’.



What are your main goals for 2009?

I have wanted to write and illustrate a childrens book for ages so I’m going to get round to that this year and I plan to go on holiday to some bustling, colourful city to inspire my creative juices.

Thanks Shelby and good luck with your children's book!